SAN DIEGO – The Aztec men's soccer team (3-7-1, 0-5-0) fell to No. 7 Stanford (9-1-2, 3-1-1) 1-0 Sunday afternoon on the SDSU Sports Deck.
After a forgettable 4-0 loss to Cal Thursday, the Aztecs bounced back and went toe-to-toe with the Cardinal, who have won three of the last four national championships.
SDSU was outshot just 9-7 and had five corners to Stanford's three. The Cardinal goal came on an extraordinary strike from 25 yards out by Ousseni Bouda in the 58th minute.
"This is what our team is. There's a great bit of character in our group," head coach Lev Kirshner said after the match. "They bounced back from a rough Thursday night, and we played with a top ten team in the country for 90 minutes. Just one moment decided the game. Other than that, it was a dead even. When you play top ten teams, it has to be nearly perfect and we were nearly perfect, but you have to give credit to Stanford, a team that has won a lot of national championships."
It appeared the Cardinal had jumped out to an early lead in the 20th minute when Charlie Wehan found the back of the net, but Stanford was whistled for offsides and goal was waived off.
SDSU was outshot by just one in each half and held the Cardinal without a corner in the first half.
Stanford's game-winning goal came in the 58th minute on a breakaway counter-attack. Following a long throw into the box by the Aztecs, the Cardinal cleared the ball and found Ousseni Bouda with space to operate. He fired a rocket from 25 yards out that snuck inside the upper left corner of the goal.
"That goal came on a very special moment from a guy [Ousseni Bouda] who was the national player of the year last year," Kirshner explained. "If that's how we are going to get beat, a golazo from 30 meters out, so be it."
Tristan Weber had the two best opportunities for the Aztecs. In the opening minute of the second half, he nearly found the upper corner from 25 yards out, but Stanford's Andrew Thomas made a nice diving save. This was SDSU's lone shot on goal.
In the 79th minute, Weber had another long-range strike that was blocked in the crowded box.
Max Watkin had an excellent stop in the in the 51st minute when he had a full extension diving save on a Derek Waldeck shot from the left wing.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Blake Bowen - Provided spark off the bench in his 61 minutes
QUOTE OF THE MATCH
"We did a phenomenal job of tightening things up. It was a great rebound from Thursday night." Lev Kirshner
STAT OF THE MATCH
The Aztecs were outshot 4-3 in the first half and 5-4 in the second.
THE NOTE I
The Aztecs have outshot their opponents 20-15 over the last two matches but have been outscored 5-0.
THE NOTE II
Defender Reagan Sherlock earned his first start of 2019 (3rd career) on the backline and played the full 90 minutes.
UP NEXT
The Aztecs host Marshall, who received votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll, Friday at 7 p.m.